Filipino national suspected as member of IS militants

MANILA – A video released over the weekend showed that a Filipino national is suspected as one of the Islamic State (IS) militants who beheaded an American and 18 Syrian soldiers.

The man who remained unnamed in the report appeared to be Asian of origin.

“Kurdish sources familiar with the movement of ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq also identified one of the men as a Filipino national,” according to the UK online site Daily Mail last Wednesday night (Philippine time).

The names of the other members of the IS who were also allegedly among the beheaders include Michael Dos and Maxime Hauchard, 22 from France and Abdelmajid Gharmaoui, 28 from Belguim.

According to the report, countries like Britain, Australia, Germany, Denmark, the Philippine, Russia and the US are linked to the jihadist video.

Meanwhile, the Philippine military said there is no confirmed report yet on the possibility of Filipinos joining the IS, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“There is no confirmed report on [IS] recruitment here in the Philippines,” military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc said in a text message.

“The authenticity of the video couldn’t be ascertained. The law enforcement agencies must be consulted. We are coordinating with local leaders to prevent [IS] recruitment efforts and join our counter-radicalization campaign in the communities,” he added.